The Meaning of Numbers 25:11 Explained

Numbers 25:11

KJV: Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

YLT: 'Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, hath turned back My fury from the sons of Israel, by his being zealous with My zeal in their midst, and I have not consumed the sons of Israel in My zeal.

Darby: Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

ASV: Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Phinehas,  the son  of Eleazar,  the son  of Aaron  the priest,  hath turned  my wrath  away  from the children  of Israel,  while he was zealous  for my sake  among  them, that I consumed  not the children  of Israel  in my jealousy. 

What does Numbers 25:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 25:1-18 - The Zeal Of Phinehas Against Impurity
Unable to curse Israel directly, Balaam suggested to Balak the device of destroying the union between Israel and their divine Protector by enticing them into sin. Once bring license and passion into play, and let the seductions of evil prevail, and surely the holiness of God would compel Him to withdraw His protection! This was a diabolical suggestion to gain his wage. See Revelation 2:14.
The women of the land, notorious for their wantonness, seduced the men of Israel to join in the sensual rites of their worship. All did not fall into this sin. See Deuteronomy 4:3-4. But it brought terrible chastisement on the offenders, 1 Corinthians 10:8. You must amputate a gangrened limb.
For Phinehas, see Malachi 2:4, etc. Let us come out of the world, cleansing ourselves from its filthiness! 2 Corinthians 6:14, etc. There are crises when love for God's honor demands strenuous action, which never fails, as in the case of Phinehas, of an abounding recognition, Numbers 25:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 25

1  Israel at Shittim commit unfaithfulness and idolatry
6  Phinehas kills Zimri and Cozbi
10  God therefore gives him an everlasting priesthood
16  The Midianites are to be troubled

What do the individual words in Numbers 25:11 mean?

Phinehas son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest has turned back - My wrath from the sons of Israel because he was zealous with My zeal Among them so that not I did consume of Israel in My zeal
פִּֽינְחָ֨ס בֶּן־ אֶלְעָזָ֜ר בֶּן־ אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הֵשִׁ֤יב אֶת־ חֲמָתִי֙ מֵעַ֣ל בְּנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּקַנְא֥וֹ קִנְאָתִ֖י בְּתוֹכָ֑ם וְלֹא־ כִלִּ֥יתִי יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקִנְאָתִֽי

פִּֽינְחָ֨ס  Phinehas 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פִּינְחָס  
Sense: son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron; his zealousness for the Lord averted a plague on Israel and gained him the promise of the Lord of an everlasting priesthood in his family.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֶלְעָזָ֜ר  of  Eleazar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְעָזָר  
Sense: Additional Information: Eleazar = “God has helped”.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַהֲרֹ֣ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
הַכֹּהֵ֗ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הֵשִׁ֤יב  has  turned  back 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֲמָתִי֙  My  wrath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
בְּנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּקַנְא֥וֹ  because  he  was  zealous 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קִנְאָה  
Sense: ardour, zeal, jealousy.
קִנְאָתִ֖י  with  My  zeal 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קִנְאָה  
Sense: ardour, zeal, jealousy.
בְּתוֹכָ֑ם  Among  them 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
וְלֹא־  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
כִלִּ֥יתִי  I  did  consume 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּקִנְאָתִֽי  in  My  zeal 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קִנְאָה  
Sense: ardour, zeal, jealousy.